Mill apparatus



J. MALTBY MILL APPARATUS Feb. 24, 1970 3 Sheets$heet 1 Filed Jan. 3, 1967 INVENTOR JACK MALTBY BY HIS 4 ATTORNEY J. MALTBY Feb. 24, 1970 MILL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1967 INVENTOR JACK MALTBY HIS ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1970 J. MALTBY 3,496,748

MILL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 He by INVENTOR JACK MALTBY BY QW/m/ HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofice 3,495,748 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 US. Cl. 72-205 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a looper assembly as used in a hot strip mill. It comprises a first idler roller which is mounted for vertical movement in a guide towards and away from the material. The roller is urged upwardly by a torque motor to deflect the strip away from a given path. The deflected strip is engaged by a second idler roller which is moved into a working position by means of an hydraulic cylinder which cylinder presents a pair of links in a locked position which holds the second roller in contact with the material and redirects it to the given path, and in a broken position which moves the second roller away from the material.

This invention relates to a looper for moving sheet, Strip or such-like material produced in a rolling mill, and is particularly concerned with a looper for strip passing from one stand to the next of a hot strip mill.

Conventional loopers, in rolling mills, comprise idler rollers which can move upwardly or downwardly, following an arcuate line. If the stands of a mill are spaced close together the room for such movement is very restricted. The present invention provides a looper which operates over only a very short distance of the line between neighbouring mill stands and which can be held simply in correct horizontal disposition against the material.

According to the present invention a looper for a moving sheet, strip or such-like material produced in a rolling mill has a member which can be moved in contact with the material for looping, the member being operatively connected to a rotary drive means and mounted so that its movement is towards or away from the material in a straight line.

The said movement will generally be arranged to be substantially normal to the unlooped material.

The said member is preferably an idler roller which is mounted on a support which is slidable in slideways toward and away frorn'the material and which is operatively connected to the drive means.

Preferably the rotary drive means comprise a torque motor whereby the member can be held in its operative position against the material by the motor. Such an arrangement is particularly desirable since the thrust, by the member against the material, controls the tension of the material and the thrust is itself controlled simply by the predetermined torque of the torque motor.

The invention includes the present looper in combination with a mechanism, for redirecting the material, which comprises a redirecting member which in its operative position contacts the said material to change the direction thereof, links which can be locked in an overcentre position to hold the redirecting member in contact with the material and means which can break the over-centre position of the links to move the redirecting member to an inoperative position out of contact with the said material.

The said redirecting member is preferably an idler roller.

The said means for breaking the over-centre position of the links is conveniently an hydraulic jack which is connected near the knuckle of the links over-centre position so that on operation of the jack the over-centre position is broken.

The present invention can be used in conjunction with guide apparatus according to our co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 606,957 as referred to in the said application.

The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross-section through apparatus disposed between two neighbouring stands of a steel hot strip mill and consisting of a looper in combination with a redirecting mechanism and with guide apparatus which has been particularly described in our said co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 606,957;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the looper of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-section taken on the line IIII of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the redirecting mechanism of FIGURE 1.

The looper which is indicated generally by L and which is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 will be described first.

A looper roller 1 is mounted at each end in bearings in blocks 2 of a crosshead 3 having a pair of struts 4 which are movable in vertical slideways. The crosshead 3 is lightened to reduce inertia by having an open section at the middle thereof and is supported by a pair of base blocks 5 bearing pivot pins to each of which is attached a pair of links 6. These links also bear pivot pins, at their ends further from the crosshead 3, which pins pass through a pair of levers 7 which are keyed to a looper shaft 8. The shaft which is supported at either end in bearing blocks 9 is driven by an electric torque motor of the type appearing in General Electric Handbook and Catalog entitled Metal-Rolling-Mill SystemHot Strip Mills, Section 1722, page 1, dated Oct. 25, 1965, and pages 61 and 62 dated Sept. 11, 1964, through a gear box (not shown).

The looper L is shown in its fully retracted position with the top of the roller 1 at pass-line P. When the looper is to be used, the shaft 8 is rotated clockwise by the motor the torque of which has been predetermined so that the crosshead 3 is moved up the slideways until the roller 1 has raised the strip 3A to the appropriate posltion which may be in the position which is indicated in chain dot lines in FIGURE 1. The looper roller 1 is then held in this position by the torque motor, the torque thereof determining the thrust on and therefore the tension of, the strip 3A. Clearly any appropriate position of the roller 1 can be achieved by producing the appropriate torque. When the looper is to be retracted the shaft 8 is rotated anti-clockwise by reversing the torque motor.

The present looper L can be used with the apparatus R and G shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4 of the drawings. With the looper L in its upper position, shown by broken lines in FIGURE 1 the strip would assume the position 3B and then not be accommodated properly by edging rolls 52. To obviate this, the redirecting mechanism R is used and so the strip passes from a mill stand (not shown) over the looper L, under the redirecting mechanism R, through the guide apparatus G which is particularly described in our co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 606,957 and thence to the nip of work rolls 64 of stand 65.

The redirecting mechanism R has a redirecting member, for contacting the strip 3A, in the form of an idler roller 31 which is carried on a linkage 32 which can be geometrically locked in an over-centre position so that the roller 31 is in contact with the strip 3A. The over-centre position of the links 32 can be broken by an hydraulic jack 33 to move the roller 31 to an inoperative position out of contact with the strip 3A.

A lever 34 which is keyed to a lifting shaft 35 is fixed to two extension plates 36 which are pivotally connected by a pivot pin 38 to a link 37 disposed therebetween. The link 37 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 39 at its bottom end to a link 40 which is formed from two parallel plates. In turn the link 40 is pivotally connected to a bearing block 41 through a pivot pin 42, the bearing block 41 lying between the two parallel plates of the link 40. Another lever 50 is keyed to the lifting shaft 35 and is fixedly connected to an extension plate 43.

The extension plate 43 is pivotally connected through a pivot pin 44 to a clevis on the piston rod of the hydraulic jack 33 which at its bottom end is pivotally connected to a block 45 through a pivot pin 46. Both the block 45 and the bearing block 41 are fixed to a support bracket 47 anchored to mill housing 13. The links 36 and 37 are provided Wtih abutment plates 48 which act as stops at the over-centre position.

The lifting shaft 35 is carried in bearing pedestals 49 which are supported by the housing 13. Although only one hydraulic jack is used, a similar linkage between the lever 34 and the link 40 is disposed at each end of the lifting shaft 35. The roller 31 which traverses the strip 3A is thus supported at either end in hearings in boxes (not shown) which are fixed to the links 40.

The way in which the mechanism functions will now be described. FIGURE 1 shows the roller 31 in its operative position in contact with the strip 3A. In this position the linkage 32 is in the over-centre condition with the abutment plates 48 in contact with each other. In order to remove the roller 31 to an inoperative position, the hydraulic jack 33 is operated and thereby moves the extension plate 43 and lever 50. Since the lever 50 is keyed to the shaft 35, the latter is moved and in turn moves the lever 34, which is also keyed thereto, with the extension plates 36. The abutment plates 48 having moved out of contact, the mechanism pursues a path which is shown dotted in FIGURE 1 and ultimately reaches the fully retracted position which is also shown chain dotted. The strip 3A then assumes a higher position indicated by 3B in FIGURE 1. When the roller 31 is again to be moved to its operative position the jack 33 is lowered and the sequence of events is reversed until the abutment plates 48 again come into contact when the roller 31 is once more in its operative position against the strip 3A.

If cobles should arise they can be dealt with when the mechanism is in its fully retracted position. Furthermore, if the strip is to be looped by L and not edged the mechanism can be retracted.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my inven tion and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A looper for a moving sheet, strip or like material entering a rolling mill, said mill having horizontal rolls preceded by a pair of vertical rolls, said looper including:

a first member adapted to displace the material towards and away from a given path wherein said material will pass between said horizontal rolls but not between said vertical rolls,

support means for said member constructed to move said first member in a straight line,

a shaft operatively connected to said support means for displacing the latter in a direction towards and away from the material,

a rotary torque drive operatively connected to said shaft,

a second member spaced from said first member for redirecting the material to said given path and between said vertical rolls,

linkage means connecting and supporting said second member in a first position in which the linkage means is geometrically locked wherein said second member contacts said material to change the direction thereof and cause said material to pass between said vertical rolls and movable to a second position in which the geometrical lock is broken to position said second member out of contact with said material and wherein said material will move out from between said vertical rolls, and

means connected to said links for moving said links so as to position the second member in said first and second positions.

2. A looper according to claim 1 wherein the first member is an idler roller which is mounted on a support which is slidable toward and away from the material in a straight line.

3. A looper according to claim 1 wherein the second member is an idler roller.

4. A looper according to claim 1 wherein the means for positioning said linkage means comprises a hydraulic jack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,635 ll/l939 Iversen 72-205 2,221,592 11/ 1940 Lessmann 72205 2,272,368 2/1942 Duffy 72205 2,343,554 3/1944 Hudson et al. 72205 2,392,323 1/1946 Koss 72205 3,136,184 6/1964 Wells 72-205 3,169,420 2/1965 Stone et al 72205 3,328,992 7/1967 Stone 72205 3,350,904 11/1967 Arnold 72-205 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PA'IIENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,496,748 February 24, 1970 Jack Maltby It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 19, "wtih" should read with line 48, "cobles" should read cobbles Column 4, lines 35, 36 and 37, cancel "which is mounted on a support which is slidable toward and away from the material in a straight line.".

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of December 1970.

(SEAL) Attcst:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

